Entertainment

4 Major Internet TV Apps Compared

With internet TV being praised everywhere as the next big thing, I just have to wonder if all the hype is really true. Is it possible that cable and satellite providers will go down the drain, and a new form of television using your Internet connection take control? With the launch of newcomer VeohTV last week, we spent the weekend taking 4 major internet tv applications for a test run.

Veohtv

Veohtv, released last week, promises to go above and beyond what Joost has done so far. The interface is slick and the content is plentiful.

There's a wide range of content, too: you can view almost any type of video online, including media from CBS, FOX, PBS, and more. (However, Veohtv doesn't have partnerships with all the providers, which could be a problem in future.) You can also add videos and save them for later viewing.

Our favorite feature: thanks to a partnership with widget/startpage provider yourminis, there's an interactive, widgety page that lets you add modules within the player itself.

In the ease-of-use category, Veoh certainly tries its best to make the experience as easy as possible. I personally enjoyed using my keyboard to do most of the navigation within the application, while the familiar Tivo-like interface makes getting to your content easy. One thing I would like to see implemented is better organization of the channels and videos. In its current state, it's thrown together in a single page, whereas all three of the other reviewed applications separate the content by the genre at the very least.

Content – 4 out of 5Features – 4 out of 5Ease of Use – 4 out of 5

Babelgum

Babelgum is unfortunately lacking in content and as a result the features and ease of use aren’t going to save the program itself. It has promise of being a great way to watch streaming/live video, but it just is not there yet. The fact is, without the content, no one is going to want to stick around and use this program.

I realize it is only beta testing, but the fact is that the selection of content on Babelgum was so mediocre that I literally spent more time trying to figure out if there were channels or other video sources within Babelgum that I could access then anything else during this review.

The program itself does have a substantial amount of potential to be great. The interface looks slick, and you can quickly access saved videos on your own “Videos” page. Meanwhile, a remote control-like interface appears on the left side of your screen allowing you to change the volume and channel. It's certainly no lame duck: Babelgum just needs to push hard on the content deals.

Content - 1.5 out of 5Features – 3 out of 5Ease of Use – 3.5 out of 5

Joost

Joost gives you video from a large number of content providers that have agreed to the company's terms. It provides live streaming content that is a mid to high quality at most times. Of the streaming content applications that were reviewed, Joost is definitely a contender.

Content-wise, Joost has a nice collection of streaming content from various genres. And it has brought a unique twist to the way we watch video: by incorporating new features like widgets into your viewing experience, TV is no longer passive. You can now carry on conversations with fellow viewers and even check the news while enjoying your shows.

Joost is a pleasure to use; that is, if you have a relatively new computer. The interface is slick and it is fairly easy to navigate. On the left side of the screen you can access your channels, while on the right side you can access the widgets and interactive features. On the bottom are the controls and on the top you can get back to the main menu. I have tested Joost on multiple computers, and must say that a fairly new computer is very strongly suggested to get the full (and possibly functional) experience.

Content – 4 out of 5Features – 4 out of 5Ease of Use – 4 out of 5

Democracy

Democracy works in a different way to many of the other apps on the market. It strives to add content from other people and groups who are already creating content or who wish to start creating content. Almost any type of video can be added to the app. Most of what is going on behind the scenes of the stylish interface is simply gathering video feeds while Democracy handles everything else. The only drawback is that there is no streaming; you must download the videos fully to view them. If you have some patience, the content is almost always high quality and some is even in HD.

Democracy is no slouch on content, offering you a plethora of video from all over the web. You can add YouTube, Revver, Blip.tv, and several other sources of video directly into the Democracy player. The search feature allows you to find all the content you could ever imagine, and it does not fail to impress. If you regularly view any internet television shows online, Democracy most likely can handle everything you throw at it.

With regards to functionality, Democracy stacks up well. It has many settings for downloading video content and storing it on your hard drive. Recently, the application added the ability to watch folders on your computer, so now if you download videos regularly, you can view them all from within Democracy as it will automatically detect if new content is available in those folders. So Democracy could function as an organizational tool as well.

When it comes to ease of use, Democracy takes a stumble. For a new user to these type of applications, Democracy could very well be a slight turn-off for those who don’t understand what they should be doing. But aside from the fact that the non-geeky users might have a tough time getting used to the application, more technical users will find themselves immediately downloading quality content from a wide range of content providers.

Content – 5 out of 5Features – 4.5 out of 5Ease of Use – 3 1/2 out of 5

And the winner is... Democracy! So what if you have to download video to view it? If you are using these applications, chances are you have high speed internet regardless. The quality of the video is spot on with Democracy, and there is no shortage of content. Content is the driving force of internet tv. Without it, then what is the point? Be sure to enjoy the "collector's edition" of Democracy, because before long they will be changing the name to Miro.

For the live streaming applications, I'd have to give the nod to Joost. It's just more polished. Although I personally enjoyed Veohtv a little bit more, I know Joost has the lasting power and I'm confident they will be adding more content in the future. Veohtv is not far behind though, and the competition is sure to heat things up. Babelgum, however, has a lot of catching up to do. In a few months, if we did this same exact review again, I am sure the results would be different.

To answer the original question on the future of cable and satellite: no, they both will be here for a long time to come. Internet television just does not have the range of content to convert the majority of people who still get their TV in the traditional way. But I know one thing is for sure: internet tv is steadily increasing in popularity, and in the long term the Internet will become the primary method of getting TV shows to our homes.

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